"At any given time, some significant percentage of people are working on the wrong things. The challenge is knowing which ones." - Aaron Levie
About a month ago, I fell down a reading rabbit-hole about how clichéd nonfiction books have been for a while. [1] The articles resonated with me since I've often been subjected to what they call "Malcolm-isms" by well-meaning (and not-so-well-meaning) family and co-workers during the last 15-20 years. This ranged from my parents recommending that I really try out the latest Malcolm Gladwell (the purest form of Malcolm-isms!) or Thomas Friendman book to several asshole managers trying to push The Secret onto me in my twenties. Sufficed to say, I've suffered through a number of these books while trying to politely give these recommendations a fair chance and not just act like a complete dick in shutting them down. And again, I did the same thing late last year with a book recommendation from a co-worker who I highly respect: Measure What Matters by John Doerr.
As far as business books go, it actually starts off promising with a solid yet also butt-simple idea: in order to succeed, you should have a plan and stick to it. For Doerr, it's the concept of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) cribbed from his former mentor and boss at Intel during the 1970s and 1980s, Andy Grove. Grove, an interesting character in his right, actually came up with a number of management concepts but OKRs are both his simplest and most memorable. Doerr, to his credit, does a great job setting up the scene by describing how OKRs worked during "Operation Crush," one of the key moments in Intel's company history (and the coolest story in the whole book).
From there, though, my problems with the book followed the same problem I have with all the other business/pop science/self-help books: the information presented might as well just have been blog posts. If you've ever listened to the podcast If Books Could Kill or read the two articles I've footnoted above about those pesky "Malcolm-isms," this isn't unusual for these genres [2] and it usually feels like a bait-and-switch. Why pay $15-20 to spend 5-10 hours reading and re-reading the same info regurgitated with different people when you can get the essentials within minutes for free online?
That was the biggest gripe I had with Doerr's book, since most of what he needed to say was stretched out across a bunch of interviews with CEOs for companies I've never heard of or am convinced no longer exist since it was first published. My interest really took a dive due to those interviews and I feel like that's a real shame based on what I did gleam out of it. Had it been a book-length essay or a pamphlet, I would've felt it was well worth recommending to non-entrepreneurs (who seem to be the primary - only? - target audience) so they could try OKRs with their own projects and plans. Instead of recommending the book, though, I'm up for recommending the concept itself by providing some "Ars Nihil Notes." I'll admit these notes aren't comprehensive - or perhaps wholly accurate - but they should at least get the ball rolling in thinking about how OKRs work and can be implemented.
My notes from reading the book
"Ideas are easy. Execution is everything" - Andy Grove
OKRs are collaborative goal-setting protocol but they don't replace judgement, leadership, etc.
Objective = What is to be achieved (concrete, action-based); Key result = How to achieve (specific, measurable)
4 OKR "superpowers":
1.) Focus & commit to priorities
2.) Align & connect for teamwork
3.) Track for accountability
4.) Stretch for amazing
CFRs = Conversation, Feedback, Recognition
"Bad companies are destroyed by crisis. Good companies survive them. Great companies are improved by them." - Andy Grove
Leaders must get across why and what.
3-5 KRs ideal per objective.
More ambitious -> risk of overlooking vital component.
3 watchwords for entrepreneurs:
1.) Solve a problem
2.) Build simple product
3.) Talk to users
Transparency seeds collaboration.
4 adverse effects of cascaded OKRs:
1.) Loss of agility
2.) Lack of flexibility
3.) Marginalized contributors
4.) One-dimension links
Optimal system frees people to set own OKRs.
OKRs are not islands but networks.
OKRs can be tracked, then revised/adapted.
OKR lifecycle:
1.) Setup
2.) Tracking
3.) Wrap-up
Platforms delivering transformative OKRs...
1.) Make all goals more visible
2.) Drive engagement
3.) Promote internal engagement
4.) Save time/money/frustration
Must have universal buy-in to work (no exceptions or opt-outs)
Can be stopped mid-way if not working (goals must serve purpose)
Keys to satisfaction:
1.) Set aggressive goals
2.) Achieve most goals
3.) Pause to reflect success
4.) Repeat cycle
Reflections at end of cycle:
1.) Did goal get accomplished?
2.) What were obstacles?
3.) What could change?
4.) What learned to alter approach?
Unfinished objectives can roll over with new KRs.
Peter Drucker: Manager's first role is personal.
CFRs boost success of OKRs.
5 critical areas of manager/contributor conversations:
1.) Goal-setting & reflection
2.) Ongoing progress updates
3.) 2-way coaching
4.) Career growth
5.) Lightweight performance reviews
Healthy culture + structured goal setting = key to successful OKRs
Structure and clarity most vital.
Peak performance = collaboration + accountability
Side note: "The Giving of Orders" by Mary Parker Follet (1926) is an early example of networks being better than hierarchical management styles, challenging the management approaches popularized Henry Ford & F.W. Taylor.
End Notes
[1] The articles were "Popular Nonfiction And The Audience Of Imagined Idiots" by Rebecca Baumgartner (3 Quarks Daily) and "The Tyranny of Malcolms" by Stian Westlake.
[2] The last time I read a book like this was Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit back in 2015. I have no recollection about any of the details from that book...
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